Category: Marblehead

After driving through floods and arriving in torrential rain, the Marblehead skippers probably didn’t hold out any great hopes for the day ahead, but as the first race started, the sky cleared and the wind filled in straight down the lake ensuring a terrific day of close racing.

Early front runner was Martin Roberts with various boats having their moments, but by lunchtime Darin Ballington and Colin Walton from Manor Park, and Graham Elliott from the home club had also established themselves at the top end of the leader board.

After lunch Darin started to claw back Martin’s early lead and after 13 races it was all square.

The final race was to be a shoot out to determine the overall winner and with that, the fleet hit the start line as one, bang on the hooter, with Martin tucked under Darin’s lee bow .

With both the light and wind fading Martin used all his local experience to grind out the win to take the event overall.

Next year the club is intending to hold open Marblehead racing at West Kirby so keep an eye on our website for dates. All welcome.

The lake is now confirmed as ice free, so all is looking good for the Marblehead Open Event this Saturday with sunny intervals and light showers forecast for the day with a moderate North Westerly wind (ie. straight down the lake, our favoured direction).

The following entries are confirmed, but anyone is welcome to turn up and pay on the day.

A day of similar winds to Saturday starting with light rain and 5 knots from the NNE and then gradually shifting to NW and building in the afternoon to 12 to 15 knots in great sunshine. This was West Kirby nearly at its best – the only improvement would have been a breeze which was more Westerly so that the racing could have been more tactical and easier for the sailors to judge distances at the windward mark.

A very tight finish with two boats on 19 points after 9 races and Graham Elliott narrowly beating Peter Stollery on the basis of a larger number of first places.